Easter in Baltimore and the Iconic Mary Sue Easter Egg

Growing up in New England, I never got a Mary Sue Easter Egg in my basket like Sam.  But every year, my mom made her very own homemade giant chocolate-covered butter cream eggs.  I would savor them, slicing off a little bit of the sweet treat each day. Come to think of it, why doesn't my mom make these anymore?  Probably because we now live in Maryland, and are lucky enough to be able to pick up Mary Sue Butter Cream eggs for the holiday without all that work.  This got us thinking about the history of this local treat and its ties to Baltimore.

Mary Sue Easter Eggs appeared here in Easter Baskets in Baltimore in 1948, just like my Mom! The company was founded by candy makers, Samuel (Sascha) Specter and Henry Gerwig. But how did the company get its name? Gerwig was friends with a local family living in Roland Park, the Ashtons. "Uncle Harry" with no children of his own named the candy for the two Ashton sisters, Mary and Sue.  Fun fact, Mary and Sue both became nuns and while Mary has passed away, Sue still visits the factory for a supply for her fellow sisters. This is Sue!

Specter, an immigrant from Russia, got his start making marmalade, but at Easter time, he switched to making sweet treats for the children in his Southwest Baltimore neighborhood. The kids were fans, and Specter teamed with Gerwig beginning production in the most Baltimore way possible; in a rowhouse at 601 S. Smallwood St. Looking on Google Maps, there doesn't appear to be a plaque there marking this historic location, and we think there should be!

They started selling to retailers in 1949. As the business grew, they took over the adjacent row houses, eventually opening their first factory on Caton Avenue in 1955. And Mary Sue candies are still made there today. They eventually purchased a warehouse that you can see driving down 83, where a giant pink bunny appears on the rooftop each year.

Gerwig died shortly after the company's founding so he never got to enjoy their great success. Specter passed away in 1995 and even though by that time he was semi-retired, he would show up to the factory each morning before 6 am to make sure things were running smoothly. 

Sister Sue even remembers there was a Mary Sue candy store at Bellona and York Road where she would get free candy. Kind of wish that was still there today!

For many candy companies, Christmas is their busiest time of year, but not at Mary Sue, where they get hopping at Easter time, producing millions of eggs for the holiday. Eggs are made by hand with ingredients melted in copper pots. The eggs are available in different sizes and flavors of vanilla, coconut, and peanut butter, vanilla being the most popular of the smaller eggs and coconut being the most popular of the larger varieties. 

Johnny Unitas even became a spokesman for Mary Sue to make extra money.  He hated his commercial spot and wrote in his book, Pro Quarterback: My Own Story, that it gave discontented fans fresh material, who would holler, "Get Mary Sue out of here!" This ad appeared in the Baltimore Sun in 1959.

So remember the jingle - "Mary Sue Easter eggs, They’re the best Easter eggs Honey your money can buy. So sweet and delicious, So rich and nutritious, Give Mary Sue Candies a try." You can find Mary Sue eggs in our Maryland Food print and card, satisfying sweet tooths, and securing their place among Maryland's iconic foods.